The elected mayor of Copeland has called out Ed Miliband’s opposition to a new coal mine up in Cumbria, and invited him to debate the issue up in his home town that would actually enjoy the new jobs and improved livelihoods – away from Miliband’s North London metropolitan comrades. Independent Mayor Mike Starkie wrote to Miliband in the dying days of 2022, calling on him to visit the area and give him the opportunity to “articulate your views and that of your party” in front of Copeland residents.
“My unequivocal support for the mine remains and I look forward to the substantial number of modern jobs being created and, the millions of pounds of direct and indirect investment into Copeland.
“I am aware of Labour’s position regarding the mine, and I am also very aware that you have stated that a Labour government would seek to ensure the mine does not open and will instead deliver new green jobs that people in Cumbria deserve.
“I understand that you are planning to visit the area in the near future and would ask if you would consider joining me for a debate, attended exclusively by Copeland residents, to discuss our differing opinions. This would be a chance for you to articulate your views and that of your party.
“I will also set out why I am an avid supporter of the mine, and the many benefits it will bring to Copeland, Cumbria, and the UK.”
Will Miliband take up the offer? Guido’s only too happy to flag Miliband’s constant mining flip-flopping ahead of Mayor Starkie’s debate prep…
Have MPs got smaller or has Ed Miliband got bigger? Has he grown into his boots? Has he outgrown them?
He has, over the years, been such a resource for satirists, humorists and associated noodles that it’s easy to forget he has had more effect than any Labour politician in living memory. And not just because of his £2 membership drive that put the Labour party into special measures for five years. What other contenders are there? It’s true that Tony Blair’s war in Iraq had a widespread effect on the prospects of hundreds of thousands in the Middle East – but that will be insignificant against the leadership Ed displayed with his Climate Change Act.
Once again Keir Starmer’s Labour party are saying one thing and doing the opposite.
Whilst Sir Keir has enforced a shadow cabinet boycott of the Qatar World Cup, citing human rights abuses against workers and LGBT people, his top team have accepted thousands of pounds in trips to similarly egregious destinations. Since 2016, they amount to around £60,000…
Amongst the worst offenders are Ed Miliband, who received a hamper worth £2,500 from the Sultan of Brunei – the absolute monarch of a country where sexual relations between men are punishable by death. Miliband says he gave it to charity…
Rosena Allin-Khan diversified her sources of ignoble freebies, raking in over £7,500 from Poland, Bangladesh, Jordan and Qatar. Jon Ashworth and Ian Murray have also each made trips to the World Cup host since 2016. Guido wonders what has changed in Qatar to relegate it from a favourite destination of the shadow cabinet between 2016 and 2021 to utterly unconscionable now…
For the interest of co-conspirators, a more comprehensive list of MP’s travel sponsors is as follows:
Perhaps the hypocrisy of Sir Keir’s virtue-signalling boycott is why he’s been unable to convince Mark Drakeford to follow suit…
Labour is furious – absolutely incandescent –over Rishi Sunak’s announcement that he’s not going to next month’s COP27 summit in Egypt during his second week in office, and while getting to grips with a financial crisis.
Having the PM fly to Sharm El-Sheikh, a flight that would emit 3.35 tonnes of carbon, is clearly the only thing standing between Britain and environmental armageddon. On Sky News yesterday afternoon, Miliband said Rishi not going is “abdicating leadership” and a “big mistake”.
Reminder that when we hosted it last year, and Boris did go, it resulted in Alok Sharma crying on stage as pro-emission countries blocked the environmental proposals Britain was pushing for…
The shadow minister’s attack is particularly eyebrow-raising given that in 2008 Gordon Brown didn’t attend COP14, instead sending one Ed Miliband to stand in for him. That was certainly “abdicating leadership”…
In fact, Guido’s analysis of whether PMs attended the climate summits shows that Tony Blair didn’t attend a single one. Gordon Brown attended once in 2009, David Cameron attended in 2015 and Boris Johnson attended in 2021. Labour PMs have skipped 12 out of 13 summits – 2:1 to the Tories…
Guido reckons Zoom will be perfectly adequate for the UK to get its point across this time around…
